A 2011 study looked at almost 11,000 people in Australia and evaluated their work time sitting, leisure time sitting, and physical activity routines. Workers with jobs that involved mostly sitting had a significantly higher risk of overweight/obesity than workers with mostly standing jobs, regardless of physical activity routines outside of work. Individuals with less than four hours of leisure time sitting had a lower risk of overweight/obesity compared to those with more than four hours of leisure time sitting, regardless of on-the-job activity and physical activity routine. This just shows how important it is to fit physical activity into many aspects of our day, in addition to a structured exercise plan.
Here are some ideas to make your day as active as possible outside of your normal exercise routine:
- Every hour of work, take a few minutes to get up and move around. Run up and down some stairs, get a bit of fresh air outside, or just do a few walking laps around the office.
- Consider keeping a dumbbell next to your desk. You can build in some bicep curls while on a conference call, or some tricep extensions while reading a document on your computer.
- Use your lunch hour to incorporate physical activity. Try walking or running for a half hour, then using the remaining half hour to eat your healthy meal.
- Utilize walking meetings. Instead of meeting with a client or employee in a conference room, take a walk outside for your discussion.
- If you sit at work all day, try switching out your chair for a standing desk or (if you’re really lucky) a treadmill desk. Keep in mind with either of these options, there is an adjustment period. Plan to use them for an hour or two to start out, and then build on it from there.
- If it’s close enough and warm enough outside, walk or bike to work.
Outside of work:
- Park in the farthest spot away from the store.
- Take the stairs rather than the elevator.
- Walk or bike to errands when the weather is nice. Research estimates that 30-40% of our trips are 2 miles or less – certainly a walkable/bikeable distance.
- Incorporate moving into leisure activities. If you enjoy video games, utilize movement games for the Wii or Kinect. Go out for some snowshoeing with the kids on the weekend. Take your spouse on a rollerskating date night.
- Take advantage of the nicer weather that will arrive this spring (counting down the days!) with some outdoor after work activities, whether it’s walking, gardening, or yard work.
- Use a pedometer. Track your baseline steps for a few days, then challenge yourself to increase them each day. Aim for at least 10,000 steps per day.
- Often times, social gatherings turn into outings for food and drinks. Try setting up social get-togethers that involve activity, like going for a hike, exploring a local town or city, or trying a new fitness class.
Share with us: How do you stay active during the day?